Page 34 of Bind Me, Sir

“She wanted to hug the toilet more than me this morning,” he replied with a grimace. “Hurts like hell to see her like that.”

I understood his desire to keep her from discomfort—even though he’d inflicted it upon her with the intent to please his submissive.

“Are you hoping for a boy or girl?” I asked, needing something other than Natalie’s absence to focus on.

“Either—as long as he or she is healthy and as beautiful as their mother.”

Mrs. Hummel returned with his breakfast, and I agreed to more coffee before retrieving my cell from the guest room I often occupied. Once the call went through to Brock to pick me up later in the day, I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, and fighting the urge to call Natalie.

While I’d agreed with Adam she might need time with all she had on her plate at that moment, longing for her tempted me to the point I ended up wearing my ass out in the pool to keep from pushing her past the point of ever wanting to hear from me again.

Brock showed up an hour later with his chopper, and we headed back to Boston a day early, since I had no intention of scening with anyone but Natalie.

Chapter Eighteen

Natalie

The psychiatrist Luna stole the car from decided to not press charges, but the prosecutors went forward with the case due to my sister’s troubled past. They must have figured she needed to learn a lesson she had yet to grasp.

As Jordan had said, an attorney was appointed to her case, but he said there was no point in fighting and recommended she plead guilty in hopes of a lesser charge. He wouldn’t listen to anything I had to say, my argument that my sister was too young, too innocent for jail.

I maxed out my only credit card to post bail, allowing Luna to come home until her court date in three weeks’ time. Knowing she wouldn’t be getting off with less than a one year sentence thanks to her appointed lawyer, I suggested she lay low while awaiting trial.

As usual, Luna didn’t listen to a word I said, arriving home in the middle of the night after getting out on bail, drunk off her ass and reminding me so much of our father that I couldn’t sleep.

I left for the Laurent estate Tuesday morning—late as usual due to cleaning up the vomit she’d left all over the bathroom.

I’d been able to push aside thoughts of Jordan the rest of the weekend due to the mess with my sister, but pulling up to the gate and the long drive winding into the trees and to the meadow beyond tightened my throat.

Once parked and a few deep breaths somewhat steadied my nerves, I made my way inside. Mrs. Hummel showed me into the sunroom, letting me know that Lily had just come down for breakfast.

A bit green around the gills, Lily smiled at me from her place at the table as I walked in.

“How are you?” I asked, sitting beside her.

“I feel like shit,” she grumbled, and nibbled on a cracker, her gaze glued to my face. “I got your message about not being able to make it in yesterday, and I’ve been dying to talk to you. How are you?

“Surviving, but barely. My sister is a moron, the court appointed attorney won’t fight the charges, and I can’t afford another one who will.” I sighed and rubbed my makeup-less eyes. “Sorry again about not being able to make it to work yesterday.”

“I was pretty much useless all day anyway,” Lily said with a sigh. “I should ask about the mess with your sister, but I’ve been dying all weekend—you left Saturday morning before anyone else was up. What happened with Jordan?”

I swallowed against the thickening in my throat again, and tried for a smile that wobbled. “Our walk ended up at the church.”

“So Adam told me. And?”

I glanced out the window, and quickly jerked my gaze off the stone structure that I’d dreamed of every night since being tied to the altar. “And things went too far.”

Lily’s brow furrowed. “Without your consent?”

“No,” I quickly said, “but I wasn’t able to protect my heart.” My voice broke, and I swallowed.

Grasping my hand atop the table, Lily smiled. “He would be the perfect dominant for you.”

“I don’t have the time—or the energy for such a thing right now, Lily, you know that.”

She shifted back into her chair and picked up another cracker. “When will you, Natalie? When will you finally give in to what your heart and body need? Take care of yourself for a change.”

“I did,” I said with a bit more snip than I’d intended, “and now I’m suffering worse than I expected.”

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